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Washington suburbs and Western Maryland · MarylandMortgage lender in Frederick County, MD
Yes. Stellar Mortgage Corporation, NMLS #2190975, is licensed in Maryland and makes purchase and refinance loans in Frederick County: conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo and non-QM. Steve Umansky, NMLS #61764, is our licensed loan officer for Maryland. For 2026 the one-unit conforming loan limit here is $1,249,125 and the FHA limit is $1,249,125.
Reviewed by Steve Umansky, Sr. Branch Manager, NMLS #61764,
From Frederick to Thurmont: what changes locally, what does not, and how to find out in fifteen minutes what you actually qualify for.
Buying in Frederick County
Frederick County, with its county seat in Frederick, takes in Frederick, Urbana, Brunswick, Middletown and Thurmont. Frederick County files are handled personally by Steve Umansky, Sr. Branch Manager, NMLS #61764, who is licensed in Maryland, from our Southampton, PA office.
- 2026 conforming limit
- $1,249,125 (high-cost area)
- 2026 FHA limit
- $1,249,125 (one-unit, set by HUD)
- Above that
- Jumbo pricing
- Closing handled by
- title company or attorney
- State housing agency
- Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland DHCD) (not a participating lender)
- Your officer
- Steve Umansky, NMLS #61764
2026 limits for a one-unit property. Frederick County is designated a high-cost area for conforming loans. Sources: FHFA conforming loan limit values and HUD FHA mortgage limits.
Frederick County sits inside the Washington, DC metropolitan high-cost area, so its conforming limit is the FHFA ceiling of $1,249,125 rather than the national baseline of $832,750. That matters: a loan that would be jumbo elsewhere in Maryland can still be a conforming loan here, with conforming pricing and guidelines.
Frederick County: city, suburbs and farmland
Frederick County is Maryland’s largest by land area. The City of Frederick is the county seat; Urbana and New Market, to the southeast, are the newest suburbs; Middletown and Brunswick lie to the west and south; and Thurmont, Walkersville and Emmitsburg are the northern towns.
The county is inside the Washington metropolitan high-cost area, so its conforming loan limit is higher than the national baseline. Fort Detrick, in the city, brings VA-eligible buyers, and we request the Certificate of Eligibility at the start. Urbana and the growth areas around the city are largely new construction, where the lock has to match the builder’s completion date. Downtown Frederick’s older homes are where appraisal condition items are most likely. In the north and west, wells and septic systems are standard.
Frederick County by the numbers
- Median home value
- $464,600 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, table B25077)
- Typical property tax
- About 0.99% of home value a year: median tax bill $4,584 on a median value of $464,600 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, table B25103)
- Transfer tax
- State transfer tax of 0.5% of the price; county recordation tax is separate and varies (Maryland Code, Tax-Property § 13-203)
- Largest communities
- Frederick, Ballenger Creek, Linganore, Urbana (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, table B01003)
The county median home value is $464,600. The 2026 one-unit conforming loan limit here is $1,249,125 and the FHA limit is $1,249,125.
Census figures are survey estimates for owner-occupied homes, not appraisals or tax quotes. We use the actual tax bill for the property when we quote.
Closing and programs in Maryland
Closings in Maryland are typically handled by a title company or attorney. The closing process, state transfer and recording taxes and first-time buyer programs are covered on the Maryland page. Property taxes are set locally; we take the figure from the tax record for the address.
Questions Frederick County buyers ask
Does Stellar Mortgage lend in Frederick County, MD?
Yes. Stellar Mortgage Corporation is licensed in Maryland and lends throughout Maryland, including Frederick County. Steve Umansky, NMLS #61764, is our licensed originator for Maryland and works Maryland files from our Southampton, PA office.
What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in Frederick County?
Frederick County is part of the Washington, DC metropolitan high-cost area, so the 2026 one-unit conforming limit is $1,249,125, the FHFA ceiling. Loans above that are jumbo. FHA limits are set separately by HUD and can differ; we check both for the property address before quoting.
Is there down payment assistance for first-time buyers in Frederick County?
Maryland's housing agency, Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland DHCD), runs the state's bond and assistance programs. Stellar is not currently a participating lender for those, and we say so up front. What we offer Frederick County first-time buyers: conventional loans with low down payment options for qualifying buyers, FHA loans with a low down payment, VA loans with little or no money down for eligible service members and veterans, and USDA financing with little or no money down where the address qualifies. Sellers can contribute to closing costs, and gift funds from family are allowed. If an agency program is the better fit for you, we will tell you.
How fast can I get pre-approved to buy in Frederick County?
Once we have your application, credit, and the documents on our checklist, most buyers have a letter within one to two business days. If you have already found a home in Frederick or anywhere else in Frederick County and are writing an offer, tell us on the form and we prioritize the file.
What is the 2026 FHA loan limit in Frederick County?
For 2026 the FHA limit for a one-unit home in Frederick County is $1,249,125, set by HUD. The conforming loan limit is $1,249,125. Limits for two- to four-unit properties are higher.
Who pays the transfer tax in Frederick County?
The state transfer tax is 0.5 percent of the price. For a first-time Maryland home buyer purchasing a principal residence it is 0.25 percent and must be paid by the seller. County recordation tax is separate and varies; the rest is divided as the contract says.
Conforming limit shown is the 2026 FHFA figure for Frederick County. FHA limits and state agency caps are set by HUD and Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland DHCD) and change periodically. Verify on the official source. Not a commitment to lend.
Get pre-approved in Frederick County
Three quick steps, about a minute. No Social Security number, no pay stubs. Steve calls you back, usually the same business day.
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